


Looking in the Wrong Direction

by Magicaleigh



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Breakup, College, Friends to Lovers, Heartache, M/M, oblivious!Link, pining!Rhett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-01-26 07:30:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12552340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magicaleigh/pseuds/Magicaleigh
Summary: Rhett helps Link through a tough breakup.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not even that much of a Rhink shipper but this idea came to me and I just had to write it. This first chapter could be interpreted as them just being friends. The rest will have a little more romance. This is my first fic, so bear with me! Reviews would be much appreciated.

Link heard a car pull up behind him, the rumble of the motor becoming louder and then shutting off. He heard a car door open and slam shut, then the sound of footsteps approaching, coming to a stop just a couple feet away from the bench he was sitting on. Still, he didn’t look up from where his face was hidden in his hands. He knew who it was already. He’d recognize those footsteps anywhere.

Sure enough, the gentle voice that spoke next belonged to Rhett. “Link? Are you ok?”

Finally, Link looked up to reveal tear stained cheeks and puffy, bloodshot eyes. “She broke up with me. Christy broke up with me.” His voice cracked as he said this, emotion making it difficult to get the words out properly.

“Oh, Link. I’m so sorry,” Rhett said, eyes full of sympathy as he moved to join Link on the bench and wrap an arm around his shoulders. Link leaned into Rhett’s side and took a few deep, steadying breaths. After a moment, Rhett spoke. “What happened?”

“I... I went to pick her up at the airport, and we went to the restaurant. Everything was good. Normal. Better than normal, or so I thought. I mean, I was _so happy_ to see her again. I felt like a hole had been filled in me. And then, during dessert, I tried to tell her that. I told her that being apart from her for so long while she was studying abroad had made me realize something. I realized that I never wanted to be apart from her again. I wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. I know it sounds like kind of a lot to say all that, but I mean we’ve been dating for a long time and in that moment it just felt right. I just wanted to let her know how much I love her and missed her. Because you know I missed her like _crazy_ , man.”

“Yeah, I know—you drove me crazy too. You wouldn’t stop talking about her!” Rhett joked. Link laughed, but it came out as more of a sob, and he felt Rhett’s arm tighten around him. “So then what?” Rhett prompted.

“She sort of... cringed... a little. And then she said, ‘It seems like our time apart had opposite effects on us.’”

“Meaning what?”

“Being away from me... it didn’t bother her. She expected to miss me but she didn’t. And that’s how she figured out that I’m not... _the one_. She wants someone who she feels like she can’t live without. And I’m... not that. But I thought I was. And she is. She is that for me.” Link was looking down as he said all this, but suddenly he looked up and into Rhett’s eyes. “So what do I do now?” he asked, his tone pleading, eyes shining with fresh tears. 

Rhett didn’t say anything, just shifted a little on the bench and pulled Link into a tight hug. Link returned the embrace, but he was still tense with the effort of holding back his tears. Hadn’t he cried enough before Rhett arrived? He didn’t need to embarrass himself further by breaking down again. Rhett must have sensed this, because he said, “It’s okay Link. Let it all out.”

That was all it took to open the floodgates. Link sobbed and clung to Rhett like his life depended on it. Rhett stayed quiet and held him tight the whole time. When Link had finally calmed down a bit he asked, “What if I never find anyone else? Am I gonna spend the rest of my life alone?”

“Don’t be stupid. You’ll find someone. Someone better.”

“But what if there isn’t anyone better? Christy is _perfect_. You can’t beat perfect.”

“She isn’t perfect. She’s an idiot. She just broke up with the best guy on the planet. I mean, seriously, what was she thinking?”

“I’m not the best guy on the planet.”

“Yes you are. You are to me.” Rhett responded with fierce conviction. A pause, then he spoke more softly. “And you will be to whoever you _do_ end up spending the rest of your life with.” 

The two men were quiet for a while as Link contemplated Rhett’s words. It was Rhett who broke the silence again. “Plus, you’ll always have me. You know that, right? You never have to worry about being alone for the rest of your life, because no matter what, I’ll always be there.”

Finally, a small smile appeared on Link’s lips. 

“Yeah. I know.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than expected, and it’s still so short! I actually planned for this to be a one-shot originally, but then I didn’t feel like writing it all at once and I knew that if I didn’t post SOMETHING I would never actually finish it. So now it’s all broken up into short pieces. But anyways, here you go. Enjoy!

Rhett looked up from his guitar when Link walked into their shared dorm room. “Hey, how was your date?” he asked.

“Eh... It was good,” Link responded unenthusiastically as he crossed the room to join Rhett on the couch.

“Really? You don’t sound too sure about that.”

“No, it was fine. I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll ask her out again though.”

“Why not?”

“It just... didn’t feel right. I guess I’m still sorta hung up on Christy, you know?”

Rhett sighed and set his guitar aside, giving his full attention to Link. “Man, it’s been almost a year since you two broke up. Are you sure this is about Christy?”

Link looked confused. “Well, yeah. I mean, what else would it be about? I really thought she was the one, man. You can’t put a limit on how long it takes to get over that. Besides, look at you! You broke up with Jess not that long after Christy broke up with me, and you’ve gone on like... one date since then! I mean, you’re not even trying!”

Rhett seemed momentarily flustered by the accusation. “That’s... That’s completely different. I’m _fine_ with being single right now. I’m _choosing_ to stay single. But I could date any girl in the school if I wanted!”

“Well, so could I! I’m simply _choosing_ not to go on any second dates!” Link retorted, feeling defensive now.

“Yeah, except that’s not because you’re happy being single. You obviously want to be in a relationship, or you wouldn’t be dating at all!”

“Well, it’s not my fault none of them have worked out so far!”

“Oh yeah, I forgot, it’s _Christy’s_ fault,” Rhett said sarcastically.

“Yeah, it is Christy’s fault! I mean, not her fault, exactly but... It’s because of Christy!”

“No it isn’t, Link! This has nothing to do with Christy!” Rhett was fully shouting now, and Link was taken aback by the crazed, almost manic look in his friend’s eyes.

“Okay...” he started, softer now, hoping Rhett would follow his lead and calm down a bit. “What makes you say that?”

Rhett huffed out a breath, then spoke. Thankfully, he was no longer yelling. “Think about it. A few weeks ago you heard that Christy is dating someone else pretty seriously. And how did that make you feel?”

“Fine, I guess. I don’t know. I was happy for her.”

“Exactly! And you used to get all weepy when you talked about her, but lately I’ve heard you looking back on your relationship without seeming sad at all! And you’ve been dating new people for quite a while now, when at first your only focus was on getting Christy back. None of this says, ‘still in love with my ex.’” He paused for a moment, then finished with, “I really think you’re over her, man.”

“Okay... yeah. Maybe you’re right. I guess... maybe Christy was just the easiest explanation for my bad luck on dates lately. Not even bad luck. Just...”

“General not-rightness?” Rhett suggested. 

“Yeah,” Link chuckled. “General not-rightness.” He suddenly grew serious again. “But if it’s not Christy, then what is it?”

“Maybe you’re just... looking in the wrong direction.” Rhett made eye contact as he said this, and his gaze was oddly intense. Confused, Link opened his mouth to ask what Rhett was talking about, but before he got the chance they were interrupted by a knock on the door. 

“Open up guys, it’s me, Gregg!” 

Eager to greet their friend, Link jumped up to open the door, forgetting all about Rhett’s cryptic advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not super happy with how this part turned out (everything always sounds better in my head), but I hope you liked it nonetheless. Comments and kudos are much appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey, Rhett? Can you come pick me up? I don’t feel like walkin’ back to campus,” Link spoke into the payphone outside the restaurant.

“Sure thing, brother. Be there in ten.”

\-----

“Date didn’t go too well, huh?” the familiar tall figure said as he joined Link at the end of the pier.

Link glanced at Rhett, then returned his gaze to the sun setting over the water. “The date didn’t even happen,” he scoffed. “She stood me up.”

Rhett winced in sympathy. “That’s gotta hurt.”

“I guess so. To be honest, I didn’t want to go out with her that much in the first place. Just thought I’d give it a try.”

“Why? I mean, why ask someone out if you don’t actually _want_ to go out with them?”

“I don’t know. I’m just… scared, I guess. Scared I’ll never find my soulmate.”

“Dude, chill out. You’re 21. There’s still time.”

“But we graduate in the spring! Did you know that 28% of married couples met each other in college?”

“Yeah, only 28%. I think you’ll be okay.”

Link sighed. “Okay. You’re right. I’ll stop worrying about it.” Link knew that letting go of his anxieties was far easier said than done, but he was ready to put this one away, at least for the night.

“Besides… who knows? You might’ve already met your soulmate.” Rhett spoke tentatively. “Maybe even before college.”

Link laughed a little, obviously not taking Rhett seriously. “Right, ‘cause my high school relationships were so successful,” he joked. Rhett laughed weakly but said nothing, giving Link the distinct feeling that he was missing something. He spent a minute trying to work it out, then gave up and changed the subject. “Do you know how awkward and embarrassing it is to sit alone in a restaurant for an hour?”

“I can imagine,” Rhett chuckled, the tension between the pair immediately diffused by his normal, casual tone. “Did you at least eat something?”

Link’s stomach answered for him in the form of a loud growl. Rhett laughed, the sound warm and comforting. “I’ll take that as a ‘no.’ Come on, let’s get some dinner. I’m buyin’.” He began walking towards the restaurant Link had just vacated. 

“No, dude, we can’t go in there!” Link called.

“Why not?”

“Because they just kicked me out!”

“They kicked you out because you weren’t ordering anything. This time we’re gonna order something.”

“Ok, but…” Link looked deeply uncomfortable now. “They know I was waiting for a date.”

Rhett raised an eyebrow. “So?”

“So... if I go back in there... with _you_...” Link paused, hoping Rhett would understand what he was getting at without him having to spell it out. When Rhett made no sign of recognition, Link persisted. “They’ll think you’re the person I was waiting for. They’ll think we’re a couple.”

For a moment, Link thought he saw a flicker of pain in Rhett’s eyes, but it was gone so fast he figured he must’ve imagined it. “Who cares man? They can think whatever they want. I just want some food!”

“Rhett, can we please just go over there instead?” Link pleaded, pointing at another restaurant on the opposite side of the pier.

Rhett rolled his eyes, but turned in the direction of the other restaurant nevertheless. “Fine. As you wish, Buttercup.”

Link swatted his arm. “Don’t call me that!” His feigned anger was made much less convincing by his face-splitting grin. He and Rhett were both laughing as they entered the restaurant.

“Aw man, this place is expensive!” Rhett complained once they’d been seated and were looking at the menu.

“Well then you shouldn’t have promised to pay for my meal!” Link said with a smirk.

Rhett just shook his head and went back to his menu. As Link glanced around, he noticed that Rhett was right. This was a _really_ nice restaurant. It looked kinda… romantic, now that he thought about it. Definitely not the sort of place two friends would typically go for a casual dinner. _Crap. People here will probably think we’re a couple too,_ Link thought. Still, he found that now they were here, the idea didn’t actually bother him as much as he thought it would. _It doesn’t matter. Who cares what anyone else thinks? It’s just me and Rhett. I’m just gonna enjoy myself._

And so he did. For the rest of the evening, he and Rhett talked and joked, lighthearted conversation naturally flowing between them. Link smiled so much his cheeks felt stiff, laughed so hard his stomach hurt in the best possible way. He didn’t want the night to end. It was while Rhett was busy paying the bill that Link was struck by a sudden epiphany.

_This feels right._

The thought came over him so swiftly and strongly that for a moment he thought he might have said it aloud. He was certain that anyone watching would have been able to see the exact moment that his demeanor changed as the realization hit. As it was, he managed to compose himself at least a little bit before Rhett’s attention returned to him.

“Ready to go?” Rhett asked.

Link nodded, and the pair exited the restaurant together. Link felt like he was in shock, still trying to comprehend what this meant. Of course it didn’t take long for Rhett to notice.

“Link? Are you okay?”

“What did you mean when you said I was ‘looking in the wrong direction’?” Link blurted out rather than answering Rhett’s question. He wasn’t sure where that came from, but once he said it he was sure that that’s what he needed to know.

“I… I don’t know, man," Rhett stuttered, thrown by the sudden shift. "It was just some generic advice, you know? Didn’t really mean anything.”

“No. If you didn’t have any real advice to offer you’d have just said so. You wouldn’t make something up.” Link stopped walking and turned to look Rhett in the eye. “I need to know what you meant. For real.”

Part of Link knew what was coming, but he needed to hear Rhett say it first. He needed to make sure.

“I meant… I meant…”

“Where do you think I should be looking, Rhett? What’s the right direction?” Link prompted.

“Me,” Rhett admitted, so quiet it was almost a whisper. “I want you to look at me.”

Link gazed up into Rhett’s face, into gray-green eyes which were so scared and unsure yet so full of love.

“I see you,” Link responded.

Slowly, he stretched up onto his tiptoes and kissed Rhett ever so softly.

With their faces still just inches apart, Rhett let out a shaky laugh. “Took you long enough.”

And he closed the distance between them once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it! I really hope you enjoyed it. A few quick notes about my ineptitude:  
> 1\. I have no idea how accurate the statistic at the beginning is. It's just the first thing that came up on Google. Even if it's accurate NOW I'm sure it's not accurate for when Rhett and Link were in college, but oh well. I didn't feel like doing extensive *boop be doop boop* research.  
> 2\. I also have no idea whether there is a pier with restaurants and stuff anywhere near NC State. I kinda had LA in mind when I wrote this even though I know they weren't in LA at the time.  
> 3\. I also have no idea how to write a kiss scene. The only time I've ever kissed someone is when I was four, so I'm definitely not an expert, which is why I went into so little detail. I hope it seemed sweet and purposefully vague, rather than seeming like I'm just clueless. (Which I am. But I don't want my writing to sound that way.)  
> Anyways, thank you so so so much for reading and supporting me as I wrote my first fic ever! Seriously, your comments and kudos keep me going. I'd love to hear what you think of the finished product (positive and negative feedback are both welcome, as long as it's constructive, not mean).  
> BYMB  
> -Leigh


End file.
